(SportsNetwork.com) - The Los Angeles Lakers will try to halt a three-game
losing streak Friday night when they visit EnergySolutions Arena to take on
the Utah Jazz.

The Lakers dropped their last two on a recent road trip, falling to the Golden
State Warriors and Phoenix Suns. On Christmas night, LA lost to the two-time
defending champion Miami Heat, 101-95.

The game was tied 83-83 with 8:25 left before Miami used a 9-0 spurt to seize
control of the contest. It was a fun exhibition for LeBron James and Dwyane
Wade, who teamed for two great alley-oops, although Kobe Bryant was certainly
missed.

"It's not as special when Kobe's not out there," acknowledged James.

Nick Young led the way for the Lakers with 20 points off the bench. He is the
team's leading scorer at 15.7 ppg.

With Bryant out many more weeks with a broken bone in his knee, and Steve Nash
nowhere near returning, the Lakers will be without the third former All-Star
on Friday.

Gasol didn't travel with the team to Salt Lake City as he is dealing with an
upper respiratory illness.

"I think it's lingering a little bit. I think it does affect him," said head
coach Mike D'Antoni. "Like anything else, you're not 100 percent physically
and you're going to have shorter times of energy and stuff like that. He'll
get over it. He'll be fine."

The Jazz have alternated losses and wins over their last five, all of which
took place on the road. They play three of their next four at home.

Ono Monday, the Jazz finished off their sojourn with a 104-94 setback in
Memphis to the Grizzlies. On the trek, Utah toppled Charlotte and Orlando, but
fell to Miami and Atlanta.

"I think we did pretty well [on the road]," point guard Trey Burke said of the
team's recent road swing. "We were 2-3. A lot of people didn't even expect
that out of us."

Against the Grizz, the Memphis bench destroyed the Jazz reserves to the tune
of 51-18. The Grizzlies shot 55 percent from the 3-point line.